Melanoma Cancer: The Latest Facts

Melanoma cancer is also known as skin cancer. The disease mainly affects people over 40 and the largest number of patients is found in the 65-70 age group. Whether a person survives melanoma cancer depends on the stage of melanoma at the time of discovery.

What is Melanoma Cancer?

Melanoma cancer is an aggressive form of skin cancer. Melanoma can start anywhere on the body and quickly spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma usually develops on clear skin. Sometimes a melanoma develops at the site of an existing mole.

How do I recognize melanoma cancer?

In general, you can recognize a melanoma by the sudden appearance of a light brown, dark brown or red spot on the skin. This spot grows quickly and initially looks like a birthmark. If a melanoma arises at the location of an existing mole, you can recognize this by the sudden change of that mole. The mole may change in size, color, or appearance, or may itch or bleed. On the website Kanker.nl you will find an extensive explanation about recognizing a melanoma. If you have a spot that you don’t trust, always have a doctor look at it as soon as possible.

When are you at increased risk for melanoma cancer?

There are several factors that increase the risk of melanoma cancer. Here are the main ones:

• You have had a lot of sunlight or radiation from sunlamps, solarium or solarium for years
• You were often burned in the past or you were often found unprotected in the sun as a child
• You have light skin, light eyes, freckles, light blond or red hair and burn easily You have more than 100 moles or 5 or more troubled moles
• You have genetic predisposition for melanoma
• You have undergone radiation or light treatment (PUVA) in the hospital
• You use or have used long-term medication that reduces the immune system (for example, prednisone or chemotherapy)
• You have previously had skin cancer or a preliminary stage of it.

I am at increased risk of melanoma cancer. What now?

If you are at greater risk of melanoma cancer, it is certainly advisable to check your skin every month for any abnormalities. Also pay attention to places such as the soles of your feet, buttocks, your back, the skin behind the ears and the backs of your legs. If no one can watch with you, use two mirrors or take pictures of the back of your body with the help of a selfie stick.

What about survival rates after being diagnosed with melanoma cancer?

If detected in time, the chance of a cure is very high. According to Numbers from February 2018, 100 percent of the number of patients are still alive after 3 years. The chance of a new melanoma or later metastases is small in those cases. Unfortunately, it becomes a different story if there are already metastases. Melanoma cancer knows as said different stages. In the worst-case scenario, only 17 percent of patients are still alive 3 years later.

How is melanoma cancer treated?

The tumor is almost always surgically removed first. A second operation will follow later in which the scar and some surrounding skin will be removed. This tissue is then checked again for any cancer cells that may still be present. Whether you stay under control depends on the thickness of the melanoma. Very occasionally there is no surgery, but radiation. This happens, for example, with elderly patients or patients in poor health. If there are already metastases, treatment usually starts with surgery. the further treatment trajectory in metastatic melanoma cancer depends on things such as location and characteristics of the tumor, the location of the metastases and the condition of the patient.

What are the latest advances in melanoma cancer treatment?

• Research into targeted drugs that can block the growth and division of cancer cells.
• Research into the reason(s) why melanoma cells become insensitive to targeted drugs over time.
• Research on Young-TIL immunotherapy. This involves multiplying immune cells from the tumor previously taken from the patient in the laboratory. Then all these immune cells are returned to the patient. TIL stands for tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are cells that play a role in the immune system.
• Research on dendritic cell therapy (immunotherapy). In this therapy, the patient’s immune cells are trained in the lab to attack tumor cells. The treatment is included in the basic health insurance package and is available for patients with melanoma cancer in stage 3B and 3C. A decision will be made in the second half of 2021 whether this therapy will be permanently included in the basic package.
• Research into combinations of targeted drugs and drugs that should strengthen the patient’s immune system.

I want to know more about melanoma cancer

on Kanker.nl you will find a lot of information about melanoma cancer. Another good website is that of the patient association Melanoma Foundation.